Action is threatened over trust stance on fracking

ENERGY FIRM Ineos is threatening to take legal action against the National Trust so it can carry out a fracking survey on its land.

The company said it had been trying for almost a year to get permission for a seismic survey at Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire.

Ineos said it has repeatedly tried to arrange a meeting, adding that the trust refuses to speak to the company. “If the National Trust refuses to change its position, Ineos will have no choice but to write to the Oil and Gas Authority, asking for permission to seek a court order enforcing its rights to carry out these surveys on National Trust land,” said a statement.

Corporate affairs director Tom Crotty said virtually all the work would be done overground. The East Midlands is a key area for potential shale gas extraction and Ineos already has permission from landowners around the trust’s park, he said.

The ability of Ineos to extract shale gas would be “significantly limited” if tests could not be carried out on the trust’s land, said Mr Crotty.

Ineos will decide its next move within weeks, depending on the trust’s response to a letter it received yesterday. Mr Crotty said Ineos needed to carry out the survey to get a full picture of the potential for shale gas extraction in the area.

Ineos said Government licences give the company a legal obligation to investigate shale gas deposits in areas around the country, including Clumber Park.

Lynn Calder, commercial director of Ineos Shale, said: “The National Trust is taking an overtly political position against all fossil fuels.

“What it fails to recognise is that shale gas is 50 per cent cleaner than coal and 30 per cent cleaner than oil. The development of shale gas will actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“We are developing a shale gas industry that is safe and essential for the UK and the economy.”

It is estimated that the industry will create tens of thousands of well-paid jobs.

A spokesman for the Trust said: “The National Trust is opposed to fracking on its land and will reject any fracking requests or inquiries.”